Drug Free Sport New Zealand announces new Chief Executive

Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) Board Chair Justice Warwick Gendall is pleased to announce the appointment of Nick Paterson to the role of DFSNZ Chief Executive, effective from July 31.

Following an extensive search, which considered candidates from New Zealand and overseas, Paterson stood out from a number of strong applicants and replaces long-standing chief executive Graeme Steel.

Justice Gendall says the high calibre of applicants made for a very difficult decision.

"Nick won the role due to his vast experience in both integrity and regulatory environments. Together with his investigative skills we believe Nick’s expertise will add to our strengths and existing agency expertise across the anti-doping sector.”

Before joining DFSNZ, he was General Manager, Investigations at the Serious Fraud Office and has been on secondment as the Executive Director of the Gambling Commission since October 2016. Prior to that Mr Paterson was Executive Director/NZ Lead, Fraud Investigation and Dispute Services at Ernst & Young.

The timing of Mr Paterson’s appointment means that he will be able to guide the organisation through a season of change.

“DFSNZ is focusing on a range of ‘Good Clean Sport’ initiatives including regulatory, education and investigative strategies to ensure closer collaboration with stakeholders across New Zealand’s sporting community. We have full confidence that Nick has what it takes to do an excellent job,” Justice Gendall says.

“Governing legislation demands that we must first and foremost be a very efficient regulator and our athlete and supporting group education will have high priority.

“Nick has also represented New Zealand’s interests on the world stage, leading the successful NZ delegation to the OECD Working Group on Bribery in Paris and represented NZ at APEC, so his international credentials stack up as well. We are confident Nick is the right person to lead DFSNZ and represent our interests both here at home and overseas.”

Mr Paterson says he is thrilled to be appointed the new Chief Executive of DFSNZ.

“Sport enriches the lives of so many New Zealanders, and I’m passionate about working with the expert team at DFSNZ and the wider sporting community to ensure greater awareness about anti-doping and clean sport,” Mr Paterson says.

“Graeme Steel has done an outstanding job leading the organisation to where it is today. I’m humbled to be given the opportunity to step into his shoes and continue on from here.

“Doping is a serious challenge facing sport. I’m looking forward to building relationships with key stakeholders to ensure the integrity of sport and the protection of our clean athletes.”